Car control



G. N. AND A. M. SlMPSON/ CAR CONTROL.

.APPLICATION FILED AUG. 29, I9l9.

1, 349, 388. Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

JmU/ jfiz ezfiah 2 71655: 7 m1 mzpJa/z. /ZZ 229% 3 UNITED STATES GEORGE N. SIMPSON AND ARTHUR M. SIMPSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAR CONTROL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 10, 1920,

Application filed August 29, 1819. Serial No. 320, 725.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE N. SIMPSON and ARTHUR M. SIMrsoN, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Car Controls, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for controlling the progress of cars on a railway track; and is more especially adapted for use in connection with mine cars. In the unloading of mine cars it is customary to feed the loaded cars to the unloading mechanism by allowing them to run down an inclined track or propelling them in trains or trips. Since the unloading process requires a certain amount of time for each car or group of cars, it is necessary that a predetermined number of cars at a time be permitted to enter the unloading apparatus while the remaining cars on the inclined track are held back.

It is obvious that in operation such devices are exposed to rough usage and severe impacts and jars. This is apparent when it is borne in mind that they are adapted to engage with moving cars in trains or trips,

at times heavily loaded and moving with considerable velocity down a rather steep grade. Such devices must be strong enough to stop the movement of such cars when raised to operative position without damage to any of the parts.

There have been made heretofore various forms of tread blocks, stops, and horns, adapted to be moved into operative position to engage the wheel or some other part of a moving car, and lowered intounoperatlve position; with various constructlons and various means of controlling the same.

Most devices heretofore made have been objectionable for the reason that they could not be heavily and strongly enough made to withstand the severe uses to which exposed without making the parts so heavy and cumbersome as to prevent facile operation. Most devices heretofore made have also been objectionable on account of the large amount of space required for their installation. The use of such car controls is frequently re quired within mines at the bottom of the shaft where space is limited. In such places the depth of excavation below the track required for the installation of the car control is of primary importance since, as stated be fore, space must be conserved in every in stance, and the diliiculty of making an excavation and keeping the same free from water, coal, refuse, and dirt, is great.

IVs have invented a car control which is free from objections to the devices heretofore used aspointed out above. Our improved car control can be easily and cheaply made, and is compact, strong, and" durable, and is so designed that it can be readily operated with a minimum of effort. The control is also so designed that it may be installed in a track, requiring a minimum amount of space, with a very shallow excavation below the level of the rails.

As here shown, our invention comprises a tread block or stop adapted to be placed in the rail of the track, and so designed that it can be raised to lie in the path of the wheels of the cars thus forming a stop,or lowered into inoperative position allowing the car wheels to pass freely over it. When the stop is in its raised position, it presents an inclined surface from the rail level to the approaching car wheel so that the wheel will ascend it a short distance thus making use of the weight of the car to check the speed and preventing an abrupt stop. This is one of the features of our invention, since most of the stops heretofore made engage with the wheel or other part of the car at a point some distance above the rail causing an abrupt stop with little or no resiliency. A device embodying the feature of our invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a section of railway track with our improved car control in place. Fig. 2 isa similar view in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a similar view-in end elevation. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the stop lowered, or in its inoperative position.

As shown in said drawings 1 and 2 indicate angle irons arranged to form one rail of a railway track, the angle irons 5 and 6 constituting the other. As shown in said drawings, the angleirons 1 and 2 are ar ranged with two of their surfaces extending outwardly and horizontally to form the base of a rail, the other two surfaces being separated a short distance and extending upwardly, so that a car wheel can run on their upper edges. The angle irons 5 and 6 are similarly arranged. In general, the effect of such an arrangement of angle irons is to form two parallel rails, each with longitudinal slot extending throughout its entire length.- Theangle irons 1, 2, 5, and 6 are'firmly mounted onset in place in any convenient manner, and,.as here shown, the are supported by the cross members 8, 8.

air of car wheels on a car are indicated by 10, the arrow indicating the course of travel.

Pivoted between the angle irons 5 and 6 by meansofthe pivot 13 is the tread block or stop15- which is adapted to be raised to the position shown in Fig. 2 to lie in the path of the car wheel 10, presenting an inclined surface to act as a stop for each wheel, or-lowered down between the angle irons, 5 and '6 to the inoperative position, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4. Directlyv opposite-the stop 15 is a similar stop arranged between the angle irons 1 and 2, but since the construction and operation of the two stops is the same we will describe but one. The bottom surface of the stop 15 at about its middle part isconcaved as indicated at.17. Lying below the stop 15 and so arranged that thestop 15 when in its lowered position may rest upon it, (see Fig.

1) is aroller 19 rotatively' mounted on the transverse shaft 20. The shaft 20 extends across to a positionbelowthe angle irons 1 and2 and there supports .a similarroller under the other stop which is not shown. Eachend of the shaft 20 is supportedin a bearing. block 22'which in turn is supported by a firmfoundation. indicated by 24L. As here shown the foundation 2 lconsistsof a heavy channel iron bolted at 25, 25, .to the channel irons 26, 26 which in turn are supported by the angle irons 5 and 6 by means of the bolts27, 27.

A short distance from the stop 15, there is pivotally mountedbetween the angle irons 5 and 6 a bell crank 28 on the pivot 29. The arm of such bell crank 28 lying toward the stop 15 has pivotally attached to its end the connecting rod 31 the end of which carriesrotatively mounted on it the roller 33-which is slightly smaller in size than the;1'oller 19.

The bell crank 28 is of such-size, and the connectingyrod 31- is of such length, and these parts are so mounted by means of the pivot 29 that movement of the bell crank 28 onsuch pivot 29 will operateto move the roller 33fromthe position shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1 up over the roller 19, be

tween suchroller and the, stop-15, raising.

such stop 15 tothe position shown in Fig.

2. The limit of movement of the roller 33 is-reached when the connecting rod 31 and the attached arm of the bell crank 28 are in line. When'in thispositio'nthe roller'33 is dir'ectlynbovethe roller 19, and the stop 15 1s mits raised position as shown inFig.

T 2. V The limitof' movement of the roller 33 in the opposite direction is shown diagrann V roller 19.

It will be noted, that in the operation of the device, the raising of the stop15 is accomplished with no friction at all other than that at the. respective pivots. The bottom surface of the end of the stop 15 is curved as indicated by 57, so that the roller 33 as it forces the stop 15 to its raised position will roll along such curved surface 57, the roller 19 which supports the roller 33 being free to rotate to permit such required rotation of the roller 33. As here shown the curvature at 57 is designedto permit a fast upward movement of the stop 15'at-iirstas the -roller33' is forced under the stop, such movement becoming slower astl e stop '15 approaches-the limit of i'ts upward-move ment. It is evident that from thisconstruction a slight amount of-power exerted on the bellcrank 28 will operate the stop 15 against considerable resistance.

Although we have shown a specific curvature at 57 and certain sizesforthe rollers 33 and 19 and a specific meansfor moving the roller 33, it isevidentythat without detracting from the spirit of this invention, the sizes and arrangement and degrees of curvature of the various parts, and the means of operating thesame, may be varied.

that when the stop is in its raisedposition no effort is required to maintainit in such position. This is one ofthe'featu'res of our invention since most of the stops heretofore used haverequ ired considerable effort'to retain them in operative position. v

It is evident that various means may be used for operating the bell crank 28and the corresponding, bell crank between the angle irons 1 and 2. For the purpose merely of showinga single means ofoperating these bell cranks we have shown in thisspecification two bell cranks 6'1, 61mounted on vertical pivots below the angle irons 1 and 2, and, 5' and 6. Each of the bell cranks 61, 61 has one of its arms joined by the connecting rod 62 to one of the arms of the bell crank 28. .The'other arms of-the bell cranks 61,61 are joined by the connecting. bar 63. It is evident that transverse-movement of the bar 63- will operate. through; the bell cranks, 61, 61 to operate the bell cranks 28, 28 thus moving, the rollers 33, 33 to operate the stops15, 15 as above described. Such movement to the bar 63 may be imparted by any desired means. lVe have here shown on the bar 63 a short projection 65 with a hole 67 to which may be attached a rod or bar leading to any form of operating mecha nism.

Lying below the bar 68 we have shown a spiral spring 69 with one end attached to a stationary part 71 below the angle irons 5 and 6 and the other end connected by means of the rod 73 to the bar 63 at 7 5. The spring 69 is so arranged that movement of the bar 63 to lower the stops 15, 15 will extend such spring, and release of the operating mechanism will permit such spring to draw the bar 63 back into position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thus raising the stops 15, 15. It is evident, however, that without detracting from the spirit of this invention, the spring may be oppositely arranged so that it will tend to keep the stops in their lowered position requiring power to raise them into operative position.

l/Ve claim:

1. In a car control, a stop adapted to be moved to a position lying in the path of a car, and means for so moving said stop comprising a roller adapted to be forced against said stop.

2. In a car control, a stop with a curved surface adapted to be moved to a position lying in the path of a car, and means for so moving said stop comprising a roller adapted to be forced against the curved surface of said stop.

3. In a car control, a stop adapted to be moved to a position lying in the path of a car, and means for so moving said stop comprising a roller adapted to be forced between said stop and another roller.

t. In a car control, a stop adapted to be moved from a position resting on a supporting roller, to a position lying in the path of a car, and means for so moving said stop comprising another roller adapted to be forced between the stop and the supporting roller.

In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names this 20 day of August 1919.

GEORGE N. SIMPSON. ARTHUR M. SIMPSON. 

